Ashes
by Lizz Allen
Summary: Louise is haunted by shadows from the past, can Italy help her friend and make her believe that what happened wasn't her fault? Slight yuri/nyotalia Gerita


Ashen rubble covered the ground; pieces of furniture lay scattered, twisted, and burned. Louise ran a hand through her short spiky hair, her face pallid white. It was burned, finally. Everything inside that cursed place was gone, everything erased, so why did it feel like something was still gnawing at her? That same feeling remained even though every trace of that horrible chapter was gone.

Falling to her knees on the ground, she buried her head in her hands. _I am a horrible person, how could I let that happen? How could I sit there and let that happen, they-they needed me... _Her icy blue eyes filled with tears, a few managed to escape. The ashes coated her legs, swirling around her knees. She had burned everything, reduced it to nothing more than a few memories. Although she realized it wasn't the things that were left, it was the memories. It wasn't the twisted pieces of the past on the ground but the twisted pictures of the past in her mind that tormented her.

"Germany?" A feeble but curious voice made her jump. She stood slowly and turned to face her only friend. The amber-eyed Italian girl seemed almost scared. _As she should be, I am a monster. _

"Italy" she greeted her. They stood silently among the ashes, could Feliciana tell what these things once were?

"Germany, are you okay? What is this?" A sudden gust of wind caused her long coat to billow outwards. She looked down at the ashes that wound and scattered around her feet.

"I'm fine Italy, go home." She kept herself neutral, her voice stoic.

"Doitsu-"

"I said go home Italy!" Louise looked at Italy, icy blue meeting the warm amber.

Instead she came closer, taking careful steps, ready to retreat if necessary. Despite her fear Feliciana had faith in her friend, and her worry over came her fear. "Doitsu what is this?" The Italian reached out slowly and grabbed Louise's hand. "Is it..." The sentence trailed off, left without an ending.

"Ja" Germany toed a surviving piece of something in the ash, it was thin and rectangular. Italy bent down and picked it up, brushing off the ash. It was a picture frame of Italy, Germany, and Japan in front of the Eiffel tower after Germany had captured Paris. The glass was cracked and the picture faded, but it had somehow survived.

"I remember this! Oh that visit was so much fun Germany! Remember we went all around the city." Feliciana smiled and squeezed Germany's hand. Germany gave a weak smile to her friend; it was all she could muster. That part of the trip had been fun, not the part where her boss called her with very specific orders.

"Feli go home. You shouldn't- shouldn't be around me."

"Ve~ why not? You're my best friend remember? You promised."

"Italy-"

"Louise you listen to me now. What happened back then...it's not you. It's not your fault, stop thinking that, please." She begged her.

"No, I let my people down. I let my country down i let everything-it just-I should've done something instead of just go along with whatever he said!"

"Louise stop it please! It's nothing, it's of the past! You did nothing wrong and you could do no more wrong than I. Every country has their own share of troubles; we are more human than most care to think. Except for Russia, he's scary." There was another quick smile at that.

"Feliciana, I don't want to hurt you. Pease leave me alone."

"Ti amo Germany. You don't have to be alone, don't punish yourself. I'll always be here."

Louise sighed. "Ich liebe dich auch Italien."

"Bueno. Now let's go home, and leave all of this behind. Even the memories. Louise, it's not your fault. Do you believe me?"

"Not really"

"Well I'll keep reminding you every day, and then maybe one day you'll believe me." The optimistic Italian happily pecked Louise on the lips, causing the German's face to flush a deep red. "Now, let's go home." They walked through the ashes of the past, and onto the grounds of the future. In her free hand, Feliciana still clutched the picture frame of the three in Paris.


End file.
